Most people wear analog watches for the refined element a nice timepiece can add to their style. That’s most people. They’re not the demographic Azimuth is going after with the SP-1 Crazy Rider, a wacky timepiece that uses a motorcycle-style chain drive to indicate the time.
There’s absolutely nothing subtle about the design, with a chain wrapped around a pair of sprockets dominating a large portion of the dial. It’s a very playful design that will probably require an equally playful individual to pull off wearing. If you can, though, it definitely makes for a serious conversation piece.
The Azimuth SP-1 Crazy Rider uses the chain drive mechanism to tell the hour by lodging a small hand along its length, with the hour change taking place after each synchronized turn of the sprockets. The minutes are told by the second hand mounted on a pinion at the center of the right sprocket, which causes the chain drive to turn after it completes every revolution. To reinforce the motorcycle theme, the numeral indicators are done up similar to the way they’d look like on a motorcycle’s instrument panel, with a yellow and red color theme for the hour markers that give them a retro vibe.
Styled to look like an engine block, the watch case measures 55mm in width, complete with exposed screws on the bezel just like in an actual engine. Features include a water resistance of 30 meters, PVD mid-case elements (either brown or black), and a see-through crystal in the back so you can watch the modified ETA movement at work.
An initial run of 100 units of the Azimuth SP-1 Crazy Rider is now available. Price is CHF5,250.